Demographics & FAQs

Demographics are updated as new information becomes available and changes to the plan occur. The intention of this information is to provide high level data on LEOFF Plan 2 and is in no way comprehensive. If your question is not answered here, please contact us.

Contribution and Funding Rates

Maintaining the financial integrity of the LEOFF Plan 2 Retirement system is a primary strategic goal for the Board. The methods adopted by the Board are intentionally set to provide stability to rates and assure the plan is fully funded.

LEOFF Plan 2 contributions are divided 50/30/20 percent between members, employers and the state.

Rates effective July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2025 will be enacted as follows:

Member 8.53%
Employer* 5.12%
State 3.41%

 

 

 

 

*The employer contribution rate includes an administrative expense rate of 0.20 charged by DRS.

The funded ratio of the plan using the Entry Age Normal (EAN) valuation method is as follows:

2022 104%
2021 104%

 

 

 

Economic Assumptions

To ensure rates are being set appropriately, the Board works with the Office of the State Actuary to determine what assumptions should be made. The following are key assumptions. For information regarding actuarial methods and assumptions, please visit the Office of the State Actuary (OSA).

Valuation Interest Rate 7.00%
Salary Increase 3.25%
Inflation 2.75%

 

Demographics: Summary of Plan Participants

Active Members

  June 30, 2019 June 30, 2021 June 30, 2022
Number of Active Members 18,557 18,683 18,625
Average Annual Salary $114,085 $122,513 $129,107
Average Age 42.8 42.3 41.7
Average Service Years 13.6 13.1 12.4

Retirees

  June 30, 2019 June 30, 2021 June 30, 2022
# Service Retirees 5,312 6,698 7,606
# Disability Retirees 473 543 615
# Survivors376 279 333 376
Total Annuitants 6,064 7,574 8,597
Average Final Average Salary (21-25 years of Service) $8,967 $10,037 $10,037
Average Monthly Benefit, retired in last year $4,942 $5,597 $5,888
Average Monthly Benefit, all retirees $4,260 $4,684 $4,906
Average Age at Retirement (LEO) 55.9 56 55.9
Average Years of Service at Retirement (LEO) 23.5 24 24.1
Average Age at Retirement (FF) 57 57.2 57.2
Average Years of Service at Retirement (FF) 25.5 26 26.1

Active Membership by Profession - June 30, 2021

Firefighters 9,478 51%
Law Enforcement Officers 9,205 49%
TOTAL 18,683 100%

Active Membership by Gender and Profession - June 30, 2021

  # Female % Female # Male % Male # Total
Firefighters 685 7% 8,793 93% 9,478
Law Enforcement Officers 977 11% 8,228 89% 9,205
TOTAL 1,545 8% 17,012 92% 18,683

 

 

 

 

 

 

Employer Data

LEOFF Plan 2 members have a variety of professions, including fire fighters, emergency medical technicians; law enforcement officers (including sheriffs, university, port and city police officers); and Department of Fish and Wildlife enforcement officers. As of June 30, 2022, LEOFF members were employed by 393 employers, a large majority of those by cities.

Employer Type Employed Members
Cities 5,118
First Class Cities 5,003
Fire Districts 4,756
Counties 2,872
County Sub-Divisions 434
Ports 205
State Agencies 136
Higher Education 92

 

Disability and Survivor Data

As of October 26, 2018, 8.5% of retirees have retired from a LEOFF 2 position due to a duty-related disability. Of those, 11.5% are classified catastrophic.

The following special one-time death benefits are also paid to survivors of LEOFF 2 members fallen in the line of duty: 

Year State (effective July 1) Federal (effective October 1)
2024 $296,414  
2023 $287,781 $437,503
2022 $279,399 $422,035
2021 $271,261 $389,825

 

Social Security Participation

Based on the 2005 Employer Survey conducted by the LEOFF Plan 2 Board, 58.53% of Law Enforcement Officers, and 6.48% of Fire Fighters are covered by Social Security.

 

Annual Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA)

Annual COLA's are effective July 1 of each year and are based on your retirement date.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Who do I contact for questions?

The LEOFF Plan 2 Board will gladly assist you in answering questions regarding LEOFF Plan 2 pension policy, the Board's legislative activities or the status of Board-sponsored bills. Contact us at (360) 586-2324 or recep@leoff.wa.gov.

For questions regarding your retirement account information, please contact the Department of Retirement Systems. (800) 547-6657 or recep@drs.wa.gov.

How do I find out what issues the Board is working on?

Board staff is available to assist members Monday-Friday between 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM, with some holiday exceptions. Access to Board agendas and materials are available 24/7 via our Board Meetings Archives page. Board meetings are open to the public.

How do I make benefit improvement suggestions to the Board?

LEOFF Plan 2 members who would like to suggest a benefit improvement should contact the Board member representing their Guild, Professional Membership Organization or Union with suggestions. Board members may then bring the proposal to the full Board for study, review and consideration.

Who is on the Board and how were they appointed?

Membership of the LEOFF Plan 2 Board consists of three law enforcement representatives, three fire fighter representatives, three employer representatives, one state representative and one state senator. Board Members serve varying terms and are appointed by the Governor. See the Governor's Boards and Commissions page for more information.

How is my benefit calculated?

The LEOFF Plan 2 retirement benefit is a defined benefit pension. With five years of service credit, you're eligible for a guaranteed lifetime retirement benefit based on a formula set by law:

2% multiplier x Years of Service x Average Final Compensation